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19.4.11

teriyaki beef

I have always been a bit "meh" towards teriyaki. It was ok but for me just a bit too salty and unbalanced. I tried many different brands of teriyaki sauce and marinade but the flavour was always somehow too strong for me.
This however is a home-made teriyaki marinade, and I have to say it is so much better than anything I had before. Actually, I love it.

It is very simple and straightforward but as always, authentic ingredients are very important and in this case, it is Mirin (which can be substituted with sake mixed with some sugar), but if you can get sake you'll have no problem getting mirin as well, so I recommend sticking to the recipe because the outcome is beautifully balanced, flavourful dish with incredibly tender meat.

The "teriyaki" taste is unmistakable (it actually comes mainly from mirin), but it is not insulting on the palate, rather, it is mellow and comforting.

Grate garlic and ginger and mix with the rest of marinade ingredients. Marinade the steaks for at least 1 hour, but you can do it overnight if you have time.

When you are ready, heat a tablespoon of peanut oil in a large skillet and when very hot, cook the steaks to your liking (I like mine medium so it's approximately 2-3 minutes on each side). Pour the rest of the marinade over the meat and cook until the liquid reduces. After about a minute, remove the steaks and let the rest because it will take about 5 minutes for the sauce to reduce. When the sauce is of the consistency you want, cut the steaks into strips and return to the pan, mix well with sauce and serve immediately with freshly cooked jasmine rice.